QueryTrackerBlog

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

In Need of Some R&R?

To
most people, R&R means rest and relaxation. To authors, R&R often means
precisely the opposite and usually induces a state of confusion if not out
right panic.

What's
R&R?

R&R
in the publishing world stands for Revise and Resubmit. This sort of request
can come from agents or editors and isn't only something that happens to new
authors. Receiving an R&R request from an agent or editor can be a
fantastic opportunity to improve your manuscript and thus improve your chances
of being offered representation or a publishing deal. There are, however, pros
and cons to an R&R and several things you need to consider before taking an
axe to your novel.

Before
committing to an overhaul, you need to ask yourself if the person requesting
the R&R is someone you really want to work with, do you trust their opinion
and will their suggestions improve your manuscript.

If
not, move on.

If
yes, then you need to analyse the suggested revisions, bearing in mind that the
agent or editor is under no obligation to make an offer should you choose to
revise and resubmit your novel for their consideration. To avoid an R&R
becoming an exercise in futility, make sure that the suggested revisions are
things that would improve the overall quality of your manuscript and not only
tailor your manuscript to that specific agent's or editor's preferences,
because if they don't make an offer, you need to be able to submit your story
elsewhere. If you receive more than one R&R with similar suggestions,
chances are there are real issues in the manuscript that need addressing. If
your receive multiple R&Rs with contradictory suggestions, then some more
soul-searching may be in order.

Always
go with your gut. Sometimes even well-meaning revision suggestions from the
best in the industry, might not be the best thing for your manuscript.
Remember, it's your story and you have a right to tell it the way you want to.
If a suggested revision doesn't sit well with you, send out the story for
another round of beta reads or, if the requesting agent or editor is open to
it, discuss the reasons behind a suggested revision or even alternative edits
before changing and possibly compromising your manuscript. This is a business.
The ultimate goal is selling your work. Both agents and editors don't only want
a good manuscript, they want a salable one so some suggestions may come from a
sales perspective. Perhaps having a sparkling vampire or boy wizard would make
your novel more commercially viable, but if that's not what your story is about
and if those things have no place in the story you want to tell, you have a
right not to agree with every suggested revision.

No
agent or editor worth their salt expects an author to apply every suggested
revision. Some things might not be negotiable, such as the level of explicit
sex in a young adult novel, but most things are. You do not have to include
every suggested revision before resubmitting your novel to the requesting agent
or editor. Some suggestions might only skim the surface of a problem. For
example, I received an R&R once specifically asking for more emotion from
and a better connection to the characters. While considering this I realised
the problem wasn't a lack of emotion, but rather that the POV prevented the emotion
from coming across and being tangible to the reader. Instead of upping the
angst in my manuscript, I needed to change the POV. This is where an R&R
can be a great opportunity for improvement. But beware!

Do
not rush revisions. If you truly want to take the opportunity to improve your
manuscript, then take the time required to consider each suggestions, what it
means in context of your novel and how it might affect the overall story both
as a work of literature and as a commercial product.

Taking
your time with an R&R can raise other issues, however. Perhaps by the time
you resubmit, the agent has already signed a client with too-similar a work,
perhaps they've left their agency or the industry altogether. Perhaps the
editor is no longer looking for your type of story, no longer works for that
imprint or is no longer in a position to make an offer. This is the reality
many authors have faced upon resubmitting after months of revisions.

As
long as you are aware that an R&R is not a guarantee of an offer and
approach it as an opportunity for the general improvement of your manuscript,
then an R&R can be a tremendous experience and one that can result in the
improvement of both your story and your skill as a writer, even if your revised
manuscript ultimately gets rejected.

Suzanne is a tattooed story-teller from South Africa. She
currently resides in the cold, dark capital of Finland with her husband,
and their shiba inu fur-child Lego. Her works include YA science
fiction novel Obscura Burning, and YA contemporary novel The Other Me coming
soon from Harmony Ink Press. When not writing, Suzanne teaches dance
and music to middle-schoolers. She is rep'd by the fabulous Jordy Albert
of the Booker Albert Agency. You can find her out and about on the
Internet in all the usual places. Website